You can Bank on it!

Good lady and I were recently making decisions about some of our investments and had made an appointment with a specific advisor, at our bank (which we used for many years for personal and business banking). So as is our wont, we were there on time.

We were asked to take a seat along with some other people. In the intervening 25 minutes we waited, we were asked by three different members of staff if we were being looked-after, whilst it was obvious we were not!

Ultimately, we never saw our advisor, or received an apology, but another member of staff decided to deal with us, and did so with efficiency.

We thanked her and were heading off, when she informed us that we might receive a service call from the Head Office about how she had dealt with us. There was then what I can only describe as a plea that we commend her work, as, if we described it as less than excellent, she would be ‘marked-down’.

What an insult to the human dignity of an individual, just doing her job!

I assured her that if such a phone call materialised, I would refuse to make any comment about her as an individual, but would restrict my conversation to statements about the Bank in general.

While the senior people within the banks in general command (or should I say, demand) unbelievable salaries, I will hold them responsible for any deficiencies in the system….or maybe they would agree to a call centre where annoyed customers could vent their spleen about the way banks are run!

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STOP…THIEF!

One wonders why the NHS is in such a bad financial state with all the money poured into it.

Then a headline in the local newspaper tells us that over the last few months over thirty wheel-chairs have been stolen! They are provided within the foyer of the hospital to help those with mobility problems get to a car. So it would appear that those friends or relations who have come to collect the patient feel that it is their in-alienable right to purloin the said wheel-chair, fold it up and take it to the patient’s home!

Did no-one ever forsee this, or  did they not twig very quickly what was happening? It is possible to either modify these fold-away units or provide ones which are ‘fixed’. 

Do those who stole the chairs not realise that replacement of stolen units is depriving other departments of funding.

And we thought that this only happened with supermarket trolleys! I suppose it’s just as well that they are not motorised!

Can you spare a dime?

One day after the Royal Bank of Scotland announced that there would be large bonus payouts to its staff, high and low, and the day when there is supposed to be a tightening-up on credit for mortages we received a wonderful offer.

The same Royal Bank which was part of the most non-sensical banking episode most of us remember, have made available an extra 50% in our credit limit.

We were flattered that they felt we were so trustworthy, but if they had looked at, and analysed  our bank statements (which no doubt they can easily do) they would have recorded that our credit card use is only spasmodic and of a minimal amount. Why then would I suddenly wish a 50% increase in funds?

Has no-one told them that as a nation we have a phenomenally-high level of irresponsible spending……..and whilst spending is necessary to see us out of this recession (caused largely by their irresponsible lending ) saving is just as important or they will run out of funds again.

No thank you Mr RBS….keep your excessive credit and leave us to act sensibly.